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May 8, 2008

Webcam Recommendations

I'm back to needing recommendations for a webcam. On the site (Basecamp Silverton), we will only show images/stills taken from the camera, probably at some interval in the "minutes" range. The camera will be pointed at the local mountain from a house in town (the mountain is pretty darn close, but still, it's a mountain/in the distance, as compared to say a security or other similar application). We're looking for a camera that can automatically upload images to a server via FTP/SSH/SCP at regular intervals.

Our criteria are the following, and I was hoping folks could make some recommendations:

Requirements:


  • video doesn't matter, must be able to produce still images of "reasonable" quality

  • lens and such must be sufficient to shoot a pretty high depth of field to maximize focus across long-ish range (I will explain that it'll be pointing at a nearby mountain from house in town, etc.)

  • Must do automated image upload via FTP and/or SSH/SCP.

  • Controllable interval on automated upload (nothing too fancy, but we may want as fine as say every 2 minutes or every 5 minutes?)

  • Wireless/WiFi (in case we want to mount it outside, or just to make it easier inside)

  • web/browser based configuration, or configurable via a Mac (we do not have a Windows machine)

  • $500 or less. We may have some flexibility here, if for example it includes the outdoor enclosure/is weatherproof.

  • Really prefer not to have any separate software solution, other than what's in the camera, but if that is the best way to get the FTP/SCP upload, because we won't have a machine to dedicate to running it.

Nice to haves:


  • Ability to be mounted in an outdoor enclosure, or weatherproof itself. This will be in Silverton, Colorado where they routinely see temperatures below zero, and have snow, etc.

  • user adjustable zoom

We already had one camera, a TrendNet TV-IP201W, which was nice and cheap, but the thing appears to just have up and stopped working. Plus, we had a lot of problems with it's FTP upload (and weird limitations on length of user login names and so on). Also, this camera seemed to just "crash"/need reboot every so often (often enough that it was annoying).

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June 25, 2007

GPS Data for Canon DSLR's?

Moose Peterson recently blogged about this really cool mini-GPS that mounts on the hot shoe of Nikon DSLR's. I'm wondering if there is anything like this for Canon's, in particular the Rebel XTi, or 30D, etc. I would also be ok if there was a solution that connected my Garmin 60CSx to my XTi to automatically store GPS data in the EXIF info.

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October 21, 2006

New Camera Gear

I'm quite excited, as I just ordered a new camera. I'm getting a Canon Digital Rebel XTi. I chose to get the "throwaway" 18-55 lens with it, which we did not do when we bought our Rebel XT, as instead we got the super sweet EF-S 17-85 lens, which is awesome. But, since we had the 17-85, and I also ordered a 70-300 IS lens, and knew I couldn't take the 17-85 away from my wife much, I got the cheap 18-55 to mostly fill the lower/wider angle end. We also recently got the EF-S 60mm macro lens which is pretty damn cool if I do say so.

Photography is a new thing for me, but I've been really enjoying it, in large part to using a DSLR. I used to use point-and-shoot digital cameras, and they were fun, are good for carrying on a mountain bike ride, etc., but the DSLR is just so amazing in comparison. I take much better pictures with it, in part I think because it makes me take a bit more time and simply the heft of it makes me more serious about it I guess.

I chose the XTi this time almost completely on price. Dell had this superb deal going on them, combined with a 20% coupon, which got me the body and 18-55 for $635 which is a screamin deal. I'd been debating between it and the 30D, which my father-in-law just got, as well as a friend. The 30D is super nice, but the Rebels are quite fine for me, and the nearly $400 I saved payed for most of the 70-300 lens.

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